


An Intersection

by Naome



Series: Detective Haurchefant Grey [2]
Category: FFXIV, Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Detectives, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-15
Updated: 2016-07-17
Packaged: 2018-07-15 04:27:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 19,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7207796
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naome/pseuds/Naome
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The subsequent work to "Catch Me If You Can"<br/>Our WoL ceases their criminal activity after obtaining the last piece of Mrs. Hyde's lost heirlooms. However, the "Crystal Thief" cannot be laid to rest yet, as the attempted murder of a popular politician causes the police to mark the thief as their prime and only suspect. Together, the WoL and Haurchefant Grey must reveal who is trying to frame her and their motive, all the while trying to keep her old identity a secret to the authorities.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hook, Line, and Sinker

**Author's Note:**

> Wow new project! Hello everyone!! This is a subsequent work to "Catch Me If You Can" which you can read at this link: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5668093/chapters/13056424
> 
> This probably will have longer chapters but I hope you all enjoy this! I'm on summer break right now and I hope that I can finish this while I am not in school for 3 months (haha).

            I began to bury the old shadow, the one which would go about at night stealing from a greedy man who claimed ownership of heirlooms that did not belong to him. The one who was caught off guard by a detective working on his own, the one who eventually promised that same man she would disappear once the job was done. After the last piece of heirloom was returned to Mrs. Hyde, I began to bury her.

  
            For my sake, for his sake, and for our sake together, I wanted to bury that part of me in the past. Although many news articles centered around me and a few police officers at each scene managed to see me run in the darkness, only he and I knew the truth behind the Crystal Thief.

  
            However, it would seem that this shadow would not be buried peacefully. Someone out there wanted to grab its coffin and rip it out of the ground with their bare hands.

-

_A silent night and the sky above swelling with gray clouds. The full moon’s light was obscured, and on the path to the man’s house was shrouded in almost pitch black. The only thing marking the gates and the front house were small decorated lights._

  
_The windows broke, shattered glass thrown onto the soft carpet of the living room. Footsteps, moving lightning fast, skipping three steps at the time in a hurried ascension. The door, loudly kicked down, broken off its hinges._

  
_Plunge, onto the man who was trying to sleep peacefully in his bed. The ferocious swing was disrupted by shaking hands at the last second. The man managed to swing the intruder away from him, throwing him onto the ground to his left. He, himself, leaped out of his bed, grabbed his cellphone, and made a run for it._

  
_A chase ensued, each person running down the stairs. The intruder swings, barely missing the man and making an awful scratch onto the wall that was behind him. The man, with his cellphone gripped tightly in one hand, grabbed the intruder’s armed wrist, twisted it, and flipped him over his back. Light, yet heavy at the same time, the intruder landed with a large thump onto the carpet._

  
_With the time granted to him, the man ran out of the door and into the nearby woods. Gambling on his shortened luck, he hid himself behind a tree trunk and began to call the police._

  
_Upon arrival of the scene, the intruder was gone. Save for the shivering man, a blanket thrown around his shoulders, the thing that was missing from his house were crystal jewelry and a few copycat artifacts he had on display._

  
_With no definite leads, the police officers scrawled the name “Crystal Thief” onto their little notepads. They were the only suspect they could think of committing a crime like this._

-

            My cellphone rang loudly next to my ears, rousing me from a deep sleep. I opened my eyelids and yawned, stretching in my bed before I rolled onto my elbows to look at my phone. Through bleary eyes, I saw the name “Haurchefant”. I looked at the time and it was almost noon.

  
            I swiped right to answer him. “Isn’t it a bit early to call me? We were both up pretty late—”

  
            “Love, I think we need to talk. Right now.”

  
            I shuddered at the firmness in his voice. I bit my lip and fumbled as I threw my covers off me. “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Are your old co-workers harassing you or what? You’re… not in danger, are you…?”

  
            “No, but we do need to talk right now. I don’t think it’s smart to carry out this conversation outside of my office. Could you come here quickly?”

  
            I could pick up some anxiety in his voice. “Yeah, sure. I’ll be there. Don’t pay too much attention to me looking like a slob though.”

  
            I rummaged through my closet and put on the first clothes I could find. I left my apartment after locking my door tightly. I pretty much ran to his office, out of fear that something might happen to him before I got there.

  
            Breathlessly, I showed up at his door and knocked on it loudly. “It’s me, Haurchefant!”

  
            “Thank the gods you’re here! Come in, quickly!” he whispered from the door, propping it open and practically pulling me in by my arm.

  
            “Hey! Are you a fugitive now or something?!” I snapped at him, rubbing my wrist.

  
            “That was your left wrist, was it now, dear?” he asked.

  
            “Y-yeah… what about it? Do you want to look at my right wrist too—”

  
            Before I could even finish, he grabbed it and pulled me closer to him. Before I could protest, he wrapped his arms around me and gave me a warm squeeze.

  
            “Haurchefant… did you really miss me that much? You were pretty busy last night working on one of your cases and you did say you felt a little lonely, so I stayed on the phone with you until I fell asleep…” I hugged him back, closing my eyes.

  
            “So it wasn’t you, my love. The victim described that the thief wielded the knife in their right hand, which they may have injured during their scuffle. If it was you, you would have shouted in pain once I grabbed it…”

  
            “What the hell are you talking about? Did you sleep last night at all?” I pulled away from him and gave him a quick kiss. He nodded before pulling me in for a longer kiss. “Hey, detective… answer my question…”

  
            “The police think it was you who broke into a public official’s house last night, almost killed him, and then ran away with some jewelry and artifacts, love.”

  
            I gulped. I stood there, in his arms, staring at him with the most baffled eyes. “Why? I… I stopped that. There’s no more for me to steal and return to Mrs. Hyde and you know that and—”

  
            “I do, I do. Hush, don’t panic,” he cooed to me, softly placing a kiss on my forehead. Finally, he broke away from me to sit back down on his desk. “But, it’s the only lead they have. As far as they care, the M.O. was too similar; stolen jewelry and artifacts… the only thing that seemed different was the attempted murder and the location. But, this person who almost died… everyone… ‘loves’ him, I suppose,” he sighed, shaking his head.

  
            “Who… was it, exactly? I know the police aren’t always the best, but don’t you think they should’ve done a bit more thinking before pinning it on… me?” I seated myself in the chair across him, crossing my arms.

  
            “Zephirin, a very popular public official. Because he almost died, and of course I am sure he pays them rather well, I have a hunch that the police had to name at least one suspect that night to save face. And so, in a foolish panic, they thought of you, love. I—Hey, you okay?” he looked closer at me.

  
            I was tearing up a little, a bit torn on how to feel, “So is that why you were checking my wrists earlier? Haurchefant, I thought you’d—”

  
            “I was joking, I was joking! Oh goodness, sorry if I’ve given you offense about that foolery… You’ve experienced firsthand how dedicated I am to my investigations though, but dear, I never doubted you for even a second!”

  
            The look on his face was that of a sorry one, and I softened my gaze. “Oh gods, you also knew where I was last night. There’s no way I could be carrying out a break-in and an attempted murder when I was saying all sorts of dirty things—”

  
            “Hey! Hey now! Let’s stop there… goodness, love, I know, I know!” he was blushing furiously now.

  
            “And only now do you blush…” I remarked exhaustedly, shaking my head. “Oh my dear detective, how will you ever get your job done?” I giggled.

  
            “However, this matter does indeed trouble us both. Only the two of us know truly what was happening with you, being the Crystal Thief, and why you were stealing from Adeledji in the first place. Even if we were to reach out to the police, we’d find no sympathetic ears… If anything, we would look even more suspicious.”

  
            “And so, that’s how the board pieces are placed in the game right now… But, pray tell me, who in their right mind would want to frame me for such a nefarious crime? I arrived, stealing from Adeledji out of the blue, and I left, also out of the blue. You even told me how the smarter folks in your old department could tell I was done for good too after my last heist…”

  
            “The tides change a bit too much when a well-loved politician is involved, unfortunately. Well, without any more delays, we have to get to investigating. You might as well come along with me and help out clearing your name.”

  
            I shrugged at him, “I don’t mind helping you at all, my dear Haurchefant. I’d very much like to figure out who is behind all this and see if they can leave alone the Crystal Thief…”

  
            “Now, now, with such worried eyes you have there, you look as if someone is out there to kill you! Let us pray that is not the case. Surely, as we unravel the secrets knotting up after such a chaotic night, the damn villain behind this would get the idea.”

  
            “What idea is that now?” I peered at him curiously, uncrossing my arms and reclining into the chair. I glanced quickly to my side after finding that there was no arm piece for me to rest on.

  
            “That the Crystal Thief is mine and only mine to mess around with,” he winked at me and gave a hearty laugh. I sighed in response, but could not help myself from smiling warmly at him.


	2. Rapid Development

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pace picks up in speed for Haurchefant and the WoL's case. As they figure out who is behind the attempted murder, they realize too quickly that their time may be extremely limited before things become dangerous.

            “We have only one suspect right now, and it’s a far better suspect than what the police has in their own case,” I told Haurchefant, leaning towards him. We were both sitting on the floor of his office, thinking that sitting on chairs right now would not help us think of our next plan of action.

  
            “Hmm, you’re correct in that. Adeledji is an obvious suspect considering the Crystal Thief has directly wronged him,” he replied, not looking at me and leaning back onto the bottom of his desk.

  
            “Why are you avoiding my gaze?” I asked him, a little worried. “We can go back to sitting in chairs if you want.”

  
            “Oh, love, you know little things like that do not bother me at all. In fact, I prefer that we remain as is now, for even though the blinds are shielding the office’s interior from eyes outside, I feel this is safer. I am just… thinking, as you can maybe guess.”

  
            His voice dropped in volume, and he began to hum. I sat back down on my spot, watching him carefully for any new movements. “Do detectives do this all the time, sitting on the floor to avoid the gaze of outsiders?” I whispered to myself, a warm feeling rising in my chest.

  
            “I suppose, in odd cases like these,” he seemed preoccupied by whatever he was thinking about in the moment, “Besides… I can’t risk you. The Crystal Thief is in the crosshairs already, but I cannot afford you to be in their sights too.”

  
            I sighed, my shoulders drooping a little with the slow motion. “You don’t sound too convinced though that Adeledji would even set up something as crazy as this, right? But I guess Adeledji is the only one we know who may have grievances against the thief.”

  
            “That is the most troubling fact, you are right about it, my dear…” he finally looked at me and nodded. “When I arrived at the crime scene today to begin my own investigation, luckily Francel was there and filled me in. He, himself, does not believe that the Crystal Thief is the right approach… but there is not much he can do on his own within the department. An unfortunate case, really.”

  
            “The Crystal Thief really wouldn’t have any other enemies. For everyone else but you and me, they were just a ship passing in the night… well, maybe a pirate ship would be a better description,” I gave him a small smile and he chuckled. His face looked rather tense, and I myself did not want to betray my own anxieties about the case. Who was after me, and why? “I really cannot think of a reason why someone would just target the Crystal Thief… if anything, I would think quietly shoveling money into the pockets of the police department would have been what Adeledji have done to keep the case open… but…”

  
            “That is not what happened since a public official almost got his throat slit,” he finished for me, giving me a half-smile. His eyes were clouded with his thoughts right now. I stared at him, all the muscles in my body suspended in anticipation for his next words.

  
            “They have no other leads too, on the Crystal Thief… but, my dear detective, you have probably already realized the police may question you soon. They knew about your casework, right?” my voice was barely audible, and I thought he did not hear it at first since he looked as if he was distracted still.

  
            “I know that full too well, love. As we both know best, this case is rather delicate. Much too delicate.”

  
            “So do you plan to avoid them, or are you a good liar?” I pulled my knees up to my chest and squeezed them, still keeping my eyes on him.

  
            “The latter, of course,” he chuckled, “If I were to do the former, it would only make me more suspicious. Then, maybe, they would add me to the list of suspects, and we cannot have that happening now, can we?” he finally moved from his spot, crawling quickly towards me. He raised his hand, softly placed it on my head, and began running his fingers through my hair.

  
            “I can’t show up here then now, can I?” I asked him shyly, looking up at him through my eyelashes.

  
            He shook his head, a sad frown on his face.

  
            “We cannot halt though, so I have to ask you this… You have files on Adeledji right? How deep does the information go?” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and pulled him in for a hug. I closed my eyes, not wanting to let him go.

  
            “Quite deep, my love. You’d quite like it, actually,” he whispered to me, his voice light and teasing on the back of my neck.

  
            “You know how we met right Haurchefant? I almost slit your throat open,” I replied calmly, smiling widely though he would not see it.

  
            “Ah, my love, I know, I know. I’ll behave my tongue now. It is just, I knew such a thing would help you relax a little. Are you sure you do not have any other enemies?” he pulled away from me and looked at me, his eyes filled with concern and anticipation.

  
            I sighed, kept my eyes on his for a little before letting them stray off to the side. “I really cannot think of anyone. I am afraid, yes, but… I do not think I am in immediate danger right now. But you…”

  
            “I might be, is what you would want to say right now,” his resolute voice finished. “I shall be careful. Do not worry too much. Take the files on Adeledji with you tonight, and you probably will have much time tomorrow to study them. When I feel it is safe for you to visit me here, I shall call you, but do not pick up.”

  
            I nodded, my body shaking a little. “I’ll tell you if I come across anything. Pray, tell me something first… do you think Adeledji may be involved with… the mafia?”

  
            His expression turned harsh, and he diverted his eyes somewhere else and nodded. “You made me remember something rather important just now… those earrings at the dinner party…”

  
            “Those… yes…” I gulped.

  
            “Did you ever get your hands on them?”

  
            “I am afraid I never would be able to, so they still have them to this day. Mrs. Hyde… she has not noticed, so when I gave her what seemed to be the last piece, I figured it would be best to remain that way.”

  
            “My, my… you are willing to steal from a rich man, but not from the underground world… Though, I have no room to tease you there. No, thank the gods you did not try to steal it from them…” he held me and kissed me on the forehead.

  
            “So, what happens then if we know the mafia is involved?”

  
            He laughed a little, rubbing my back a little. “We must figure that out now, for that may be the case. But, go home now, with the files. Stay safe, and if something does happen… call me, okay? I love you.”

  
            He kissed me hard, giving me no time to breathe. He was nervous, and so was I. “I love you too, Haurchefant,” I replied after gasping for some air.

  
            I managed to get home safely with all the files he gave me, yet I was too anxious to go to sleep. I began to read the documents he had on Adeledji with a mug of hot coffee waiting nearby.

-

            After going through all the files, our hunch was confirmed: it very well may be the case that the mafia had finally stepped in to get what they wanted from Adeledji since the Crystal Thief had shown up at the worst time possible.

  
            The raid at the dinner party made sense now. They had grown tired of waiting on Adeledji to get back his part of their deals, and only now did they directly target the Crystal Thief. However, they knew little about the thief, even with the vast networks of information at their disposal in the underworld.

  
            The public knew little about the thief as well. Adeledji and the police knew just as much as the public.

  
            But there was one person who knew about the thief.

  
            I had been staring at my phone for an hour now. It was 5 in the evening, and I thought Haurchefant would have called sooner. He should have been visited by the cops for an interview in the morning and if he maneuvered the questions as he intended to, he would have been free to call me hours ago. Maybe he was being more cautious now that the mafia may be involved.

  
            The worst case would be he was detained for further questioning. My hand began to tremble and I almost dropped my phone onto my bed. I had little sleep today, only taking a few short naps in between studying the files. A great fear took hold of me, my head being filled with a warm haze and my stomach feeling heavy. I rubbed my lips together and threw my covers off me; it was getting too hot. Before I knew it, I jumped out of the bed and was half-way to the door.

  
            My hand began to shake violently, and I gasped. I hastily looked at my phone, gasping again when I read “Haurchefant”.

  
            I sprinted to his office, the dusk’s shadows following me and shrouding me from the flickering street lights that were slowly waking up. I finally arrived in front of his office’s door, and I knocked.

  
            “Haurchefant…?” I quietly whispered. My knees began to feel a bit weak. He did not call out to me. “H-hey…”

  
            Slowly, I reached for the door knob and found it unlocked. I bit my lip, closed my eyes, and opened the door.

  
            Through my fluttering eyelids, I saw him, lying on top of his desk. With his face bloodied and bruises appearing randomly about his bare top, he was groaning softly. “I-is that you… love… or have they come sooner to keep their p-promises…”

  
            “H-Haurchefant!” I yelled, slamming the door behind me and running over to him. “Oh gods… what happened? Oh my god…” I cradled his head, looking at him with teary eyes.

  
            “Love… we have to hide… They d-don’t know about you still… but I…”

  
            “I-I know… hush, now… we will go. I don’t know where… but anywhere else besides here… Don’t talk right now,” some of my tears fell on his face and I tried my best to keep my breathing controlled. My heart was beating fast and the fear was squeezing my chest tightly.

  
            “Don’t worry too much…”

  
            “The police…? Do you think we should?”

  
            “Francel… he is our best chance at the moment… Ah, quick… let us grab the files on you and the mafia… and go…”

  
            “I… Okay… I think we’ll be safe for now… in my apartment. There—there I will treat you! Oh goodness,” I could not hold back my sobbing anymore.

  
            “Ah, love, even when you are crying, you are still so ravishing. If I could wipe the tears away right now… if only I could. But, let us get going. Steal me away into the night, now, my dear, as you have done so well before.”

  
            “Shh… let’s go. Pray, for just this time, hold your tongue… but… I am sorry for crying like this… I’ve been worried all day and—”

  
            He managed to place a hand on my cheek, caressing it and brushing some of my hair back behind my ear. He only smiled at me before I lifted him to a sitting position. Quickly, we made off with the files. Disappearing was the best thing we could do at the moment, and I at least found small comfort in knowing how to do that.


	3. A Proper Sending-Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You have no fear then for the day when I am lost to you?”  
> “I do have fear, but I cannot let you sail away like that as if you were a lonely ship passing in the night. Let me know you, and let me remember you… I will let you do the same, too…”
> 
> The WoL must address some of her own problems before she can truly help Haurchefant and ultimately herself. Despite her starring role in the current circumstances, her own characters remains mysterious to the people close to her, much to the frustration of her injured lover.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow so much angst whoops

            “They punch pretty hard and for a bit there, I thought they were going to actually kill me,” he began laughing, but another fit of coughing disrupted him. His face wrinkled in pain but a goofy sort of smile remained on his face.

  
            I sighed, not saying anything in response as I continued to disinfect some of his cuts. I avoided his gaze with my eyes squinting from the bright fluorescent lights in my bedroom. He was lying on one side of my bed while I sat next to him, my legs feeling a little numb from staying in this position for some time.

  
            “Ah, but of course, it would unwise of them to kill me. I lied… and they knew that there was no way they would get information out of me in an easy fashion. This happened as a result, and not to mention, they took some dummy files thinking they are the real thing. Worry not, we have the real ones.”

  
            “Where?” I quietly asked, lightly brushing the cotton ball soaked in disinfectant on a nearby cut. He flinched.

  
            “With you… in your apartment. Oh gods that hurts a bit—”

  
            “Did you give them to me when you asked me to help you clean your office weeks ago? I figured there was something important in that old box full of papers you gave to me. They’re in my closet...”

  
            “Sharp as ever, my love. Ah, but why are you so silent now? Something is worrying you…”

  
            I shook my head. A big lump rested in my chest as I continued to treat him, patching up the clear cuts and putting some small ice packs on his bigger bruises.

  
            “You don’t reveal a lot about yourself, even to me. I know I am a detective and all but… I had hoped you would open up more as time passes since I wooed you,” he sighed, his chest lowering itself a little, “Do not tell me you feel you are guilty of why this happened to me. You are not.”

  
            “You should have at least told me,” I whispered through my teeth. I bit my lip and put down my supplies. I shot him a look.

  
            “I had no idea the mafia would have visited so much earlier than I wanted them to. It is possible we have a mole in the police department, evident with this nasty development. But, we have time still, I assure you that. I will keep you safe as well…”

  
            “Why are you not letting me do anything?” my voice cracked a little. “I’ve become a shadow, shoved off to the side. I know… that if I let myself known I may be in danger, but Haurchefant, I can… handle it. Maybe not as me, right now, but… maybe as the—”

  
            “You promised me, however, you would stop. Goodness, dear, I do not want you to fight like that anymore. I can’t—I can’t…” he looked away from me and closed his eyes.

  
            “You can’t what?”

  
            He exhaled slowly and reached for my hand. I gave it to him and he held it gingerly. “I… to be frank with you, I do not even know who you truly are sometimes. You have not fully told me about yourself. And I—”

  
            “Isn’t that better…?” I cut him off, tears forming in my eyes. “You… you were about to say that you were afraid to lose me. It can’t be that bad, then, to lose someone who you… never really knew in the first place. It would not be the worst case, for you…”

  
            “No… no, I cannot let you do that, to yourself nor to me. I have kissed those lips and felt your body, yes, maybe I, being a foolish man, am afraid of losing you for those… but… I cannot lose your soul, especially when I never really saw it in the first place.”

  
            “Why the hell would you want that? What is it that you want from me?!” my head felt dizzy and my entire body was burning up. I felt nauseated and the smell of alcohol lingering in my nostrils didn't help.

  
            “I want to protect you… I want to make you feel safe for once in this damned world. That is what I want. Please, love, look at me…” he tugged onto my hand. I began to cry and I swallowed hard to keep myself quiet. I looked at him straight in the eyes.

  
            “I can’t do this anymore… I can’t let people suffer because of me anymore, Haurchefant… let me help you more, please... that is the least I can do. You can protect me but that does not mean that I can't do anything else on my own,” I begged him, tears rolling down my cheeks.

  
            “Love…” he whispered to me, beginning to wipe my tears away. “Tell me about yourself… That is all I ask. If you mean to put yourself in danger, I want to know at least… how you came to be today. Why you have even set out onto the path which led you to meet me… How… it came to be that I have fallen in love for you, how it came to be that you fell in love with me… You can do that, surely?”

  
            “You have no fear then for the day when I am lost to you?”

  
            “I do have fear, but I cannot let you sail away like that as if you were a lonely ship passing in the night. Let me know you, and let me remember you… I will let you do the same, too…”

  
            “Fine…” I finally gave in, “I just have to do something before I can tell you though… I’m afraid for Mrs. Hyde. Do you think it is safe for you to be here by yourself tomorrow?”

  
            “You can hide me rather well here, so yes,” he quickly responded, smiling at me. “Give my warm regards to her, please.”

  
            “Ah, yes, of course. You two have talked a little… I almost forgot,” I smiled a little, but it quickly faded away. “I have to see her and… make sure she knows. Then… I can tell you my past at least, with a peaceful mind.”

  
            He nodded. “I’ll be waiting then.”

  
            “Haurchefant…?”

  
            “What is it?”

  
            “I… thanks for waiting… You should get some sleep…”

  
            “The same for you too, love. And no problem about it.”

-

            “Ah, welcome back! Mrs. Hyde has been waiting for you today actually,” the nurse outside her room greeted me cheerfully. “She’s been excited to see you!”

  
            I smiled at her and nodded, “That’s reassuring to hear. I thought she’d get sick of me since I visit so much.”

  
            “Oh, no, not at all… If anything, you are like a daughter to her. Well, I have to go now, got a lot of other errands to run. Well, have a good day you two!”

  
            The nurse merrily went onto her own way as I entered the room. Mrs. Hyde was staring out at the window, her eyes taking in the frightfully blue sky, the ivory clouds that seemed to stand still, and the green shimmering leaves from trees far away.

  
            “Hello, Mrs. Hyde,” I quietly greeted, walking over to her bedside and bowing my head.

  
            “Ah, finally… You’ve come. Now, now, dear, like I’ve said before, you can call me mother! It is so nice to see you again. How’ve you been?”

  
            Her voice sounded a little strained, yet her face was brighter than the vivid day outside the hospital window. “I’ve been good, it’s just I’ve been taking care of a friend after something came up… I’ve been getting by, so don’t worry too much about it.”

  
            “I hope things work out for your friend then. The world is rather chaotic nowadays… but, I guess they’ve always been this chaotic from what I can remember actually,” she chuckled. A light blush crept across my cheeks when I remembered Haurchefant for a split second.

  
            “You’ve been taking your medications right, mother? The doctors… they said you’ll be able to leave soon, and then you can return home,” I felt an harsh tug at my heart, but smiled despite the small shock of pain.

  
            “Of course, of course! Ah, how sweet it is for your voice to call me by such a beautiful name… As for you, you have been taking care of yourself ever since I left for the hospital now, have you?”

  
            I let out a nervous chuckle, “Of course, mother… of course I have. Studying is still a bit tedious and all, but I get through it. In fact, the other day, I got you a big present. I can’t wait for you to come home and see it, actually.”

  
            Her eyes lit up, “My, my, how you spoil me!” Her soft smile remained on her face as she fell silent, keeping her eyes on me.

  
            “It’s something you have been wanting to see for a long time… I hope that you will love it. It took a long while to get it, and I know it’s foolish of me to think of anything besides you loving it. It is a present… from my heart, for being such a wonderful mother figure to me all this time.”

  
            Her eyes, still shining youthfully, began to hold a deeper shade to them, as if she had finally found the answer to a question she has held onto for so long. This shade, however, only made her eyes more vibrant. “Your time in this city… you do not regret it at all, do you?”

  
            “No… of course not. I ran into a lot of trouble just living here, and there were times when the nights were frightful. There were days when I felt like… a lot of things were going wrong, but in the end, I have ended up okay, and I have even met new people. I… in the end, I don’t regret my time in this city.”

  
            “An answer befitting a beautiful woman like you… here, let me hold your hand for a little. I missed you a lot even though you visited the other day.”

  
            With light steps, I walked closer to her. She took my hand and squeezed it, still smiling at me. She closed her eyes slowly and began to hum to herself.

  
            “Thank you so much for caring for me,” I whispered to her.

  
            “Of course, my child. You are all I could have ever asked for in these past few tumultuous years. Know this, that I love you so much and hope you continue to enjoy life still, despite its tribulations.”

  
            “Of course… mother,” I squeezed back her hand, my smile slowly melting away as my chest began to feel tighter. “I love you too.”

  
            We talked more, and at the end of my visit, she looked weaker now. Her skin looked a bit paler, and her lips were shaking a tad bit. Maybe the bright day outside had distracted me at first from how she actually looked. Or maybe, because I always saw her as a warm and compassionate person that I could not see clearly.

  
            “I’ll see you again, my child. Visit me soon, okay?”

  
            “Of course, mother. I will see you again.”

  
            My feet felt heavy as I dragged them to leave the room. I closed the door quietly behind me, and stared at the name plate. Lynn Hyde. After getting some sleep, I remembered the other phone call I received yesterday. I let my hands glide over the letters, thinking to myself how things would pan out now for me. She was not my family in terms of law and blood, but she was the only family I had while living in this city.

  
            “Should I let him know?” I asked myself out loud. “I should at least not hide this from him… should I?”

  
            Suddenly, a tall man brushed by, his blonde hair sticking out among the gray walls of the hospital. He abruptly stopped, then walked back right in front of me.

  
            “Hey… are you, by any chance, Haurchefant’s assistant?” he sheepishly asked me.

  
            I looked up at him slowly, and to my relief, it was Francel. I nodded.

  
            “Woah… hey… do you know where he ran off to? The police are a little worried because they visited his office today only to find it in such a sorry state. We’re thinking of bringing him in for protection for that case about Zephirin…”

  
            “I’m afraid I cannot help you. He did not tell me anything about where he was going… I only talked to him a few days ago… I hope that he is okay.”

  
            He sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “Oh gods, everything’s a mess ever since that attempted murder. You want my phone number, just so you can reach me when you wanna know if anything new happened?”

  
            “Ah, sure… that is a good idea!” I replied, almost a little too excitedly.

  
            We quickly exchanged phone numbers and I bid him goodbye. Before I left, however, I saw that he entered Mrs. Hyde’s room. I hoped that maybe he had reached such a hidden connection on his own, and that he was investigating on his own terms and not on the police’s terms. I had hoped that Haurchefant was right in telling me that Francel was trustworthy.

-

            I returned to my apartment and saw that Haurchefant, despite his injuries, was cooking nonchalantly in my kitchen. I stood silently at the small doorway and stared at him while he prepared the meals. Clouds have invaded the sky now, and my feet still felt heavy. I could barely keep my eyes open.

  
            He finally turned around and quickly shuffled over to me, immediately embracing me in his arms. I hugged back, closing my eyes and burying my face into his chest. For now, the shirt he borrowed from me will soak up my tears.

  
            He began to rub my back and ran his fingers through my hair.

  
            “There, there…” he cooed to me, so softly, so lovingly, with a voice weighed down by a heavy feeling but light enough thanks to his fondness of me.


	4. Movement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a brief period of recovery, the WoL and Haurchefant finally make their move. The city seems to be the most dangerous place for the two of them with how deep the mafia's ties run, and so their best choice lies in playing a little outside of the borders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapters are a bit late (well actually only chapter 3 was) because something came up in life!! I'm doing a bit better now. I hope everyone enjoys these new developments!!

            “Hey… Haurchefant… are you awake?” I nudged at his head which was weighing down on top of mine, causing me some discomfort. He had one leg wrapped around both of mine and one arm thrown across my chest. He budged a little, groaning softly.

  
            I sighed, feeling my body heat up faster. I had forgotten to put on the air conditioner last night and instead I cried my eyes out until I fell asleep. Haurchefant mostly stayed silent throughout the entire ordeal, cooing now and then and making sure I was still breathing when I began to wheeze.

  
            “Wake up, sleepyhead…” I whispered into his ear before tugging it a little. “It’s getting too hot cuddling with you, we both have to shower some time, and the mafia are after us… We need to get up…”

  
            Yet, my own movements betrayed these thoughts and worries; yes, the mafia was after us, but it felt like we had all the time in the world. Every second seemed to tick by slower than usual as I stared at his face. His mouth was open slightly, and his breath felt warm on my face. I removed the hair which fell on his face and began to caress his cheek. He moved a little in response to my touch, but did not open his eyelids at all. He closed his mouth and hummed as if he was satisfied.

  
            “At least you don’t snore…” I said to myself, looking at each feature of his face. “Maybe I should just let you sleep after all. If we are like this, it really does feel like time has stopped. That’d be awfully nice right now actually…”

  
            I let my eyes wander back up to the ceiling as I moved closer to him. I closed my eyes and sighed deeply, feeling a hollowness in my chest. He fidgeted a little, moving his head slightly away from mine. I looked up to him, finally finding that his eyes were open.

  
            “Good morning,” he sluggishly greeted, placing a sloppy kiss on my forehead. “Gods, you are sweating.”

  
            “And whose fault is that? I feel like even if the mafia began to shoot in here, you would not have budged,” I replied, smiling as I pecked him on the cheek. “Good morning to you too. We need to get moving.”

  
            “Alas, the world, again, does not grant us some alone time. I suppose you are right though. Pray tell me where should we go now? We cannot go to the police…”

  
            “I have no ideas and I am waiting for that dreaded call from the hospital. My head hurts in frustration,” I whined, rubbing my temples. “Do you have any ideas?”

  
            “Hmm, in such desperate times, I do have a friend I can always rely on. I suppose it is time to bring him into the picture especially when the mafia are involved and are possibly harassing the police to get their hands on me. I’ll make breakfast and you can shower first, then we can continue this conversation.”

  
            “That sounds fine with me, and you haven’t forgotten, right?”

  
            “Nope, I have not. I shall hear you out as part of our deal… but it is more out of my duty as a lover of yours,” he kept his gaze on me as he began to twirl some of my hair onto his index finger. “Are you sure you are even okay to keep moving fast like this?”

  
            “The mafia gives us little breathing room… at least we may still have the nights where I can cry in your arms in peace… I will be fine until then.”

  
            “That is good news then, but if you are ever wanting for a break, I shall help you.”

  
            “That’s enough love for me right now, Haurchefant dear,” I gave him a wider smile, “Let’s get out of bed now and make our preparations.”

-

            “Can I use your phone to make a call to my friend?” he asked, still munching on his food.

  
            “Yeah, of course. Here,” I slid my phone over to him and he began dialing the number.

  
            “This number has saved lives before, and it is sort of my trump card when things get awry in the city. However, I cannot always rely on it, for my friend does have his own matters to attend to…”

  
            “Who is your friend, if I can ask?”

  
            “You’ll find out soon enough,” he winked at me, putting the phone to his ears.

  
            I returned to eating quietly as I watched him.

  
            “Hey there! It’s good you picked up… I hope that things on your end aren’t becoming too chaotic nowadays,” Haurchefant began, his mouth forming into a smile. “As you can tell, I may be in trouble… big trouble this time…”

  
            I put down my utensils and sat there, watching him still. Their conversation carried on as he explained our circumstances, making special note of the mafia’s involvement and the sensitive information about my connections with a criminal who hasn’t been caught.

  
            Suddenly, as the flow of the conversation began to arrive at a stop, Haurchefant stood up straight in his seat, “Huh? Yeah… she’s my girlfriend right now. Yeah, this is her phone… Why?”

  
            I mouthed to him, “What’s going on?” he shrugged his shoulders with a puzzled expression.

  
            “Ah… yeah, of course. You can talk to her. I assume I’ll know why when we get to your office, right? We are buddies after all,” he nodded and handed me my phone. I slowly pulled it up near my ear.

  
            “H-hello?” I greeted sheepishly.

  
            “Hello, friend,” his voice was soothing from what I heard already. It also sounded a bit familiar, but I could not quite put a name to it yet. “By pure happenstance that the phone number I was intending to call today happens to call me first. I am right in guessing you are Haurchefant’s girlfriend, yes?”

  
            “Um… yeah… is there anything you want to know besides what he told you?”

  
            “Ah, no, I am speaking to you on terms of another matter. You have been living with Mrs. Hyde the past few years in that city, yes?”

  
            “Yeah… what about her…?”

  
            “Fret not too much, my friend. I am on your side as well as Haurchefant’s. Along with that, I am an old friend of Mrs. Hyde. A long time ago, she had me keep her a solemn promise, and that was to contact you as soon as—”

  
            “As soon as she is… dying… am I correct?” I saw Haurchefant slowly walking towards me. He placed his hand onto my shoulder. He mouthed to me, “You okay?”

  
            I nodded up at him. My throat began to feel dry and the nauseous feeling began to wash over my entire body.

  
            “I am sorry for such news,” the voice on the other side told me dejectedly.

  
            “Don’t worry too much about it… I… expected it. The doctors have told me already… I am sure she knows, too. It must hurt for you too, being her friend…” I sighed.

  
            “It does, quite a bit. As she was to you, she was like a mother to me as well when I was going to school with Haurchefant. I can only pray for blessings for you in this time of dire need. I am sure that Haurchefant shall also do his best to keep you comforted and beyond despair’s grasp.”

  
            “Haha, you talk like a poet. Well, never mind that… what is it that she intended for you to call me for?”

  
            “Help for the most part, as well as something a bit more personal. However, I do not mind discussing it alongside Haurchefant’s current issue when we meet up today.”

  
            “We are meeting today?” I gasped.

  
            “Yes, and worry not, for you two will be transported to my office here in a very safe manner.”

  
            “Ah, that’s good to hear! I’ve been worried sick thinking of our next course of action… ever since Haurchefant got beat up and all…”

  
            “I shall see you two soon then. It will be a long trip, but I know that the trip is very much worth the effort. I shall see to it that I can help you using the power invested in me. Hold fast onto each other and help one another. Goodbye for now.”

  
            “Goodbye… um… what is your name, by the way? I can’t believe I forgot to ask first…”

  
            “It is Aymeric,” his voice replied politely.

  
            “Ah, okay. Goodbye then, Aymeric.”

  
            I hung up and looked up at Haurchefant.

  
            “What was that about, love?” he curiously questioned me.

  
            “I’m not quite sure… but it turns out he was an old friend of Mrs. Hyde… and he means to tell me something about her I suppose considering the current circumstances.”

  
            “Ah… still waiting on that call from the hospital?”

  
            “Yeah… I wish I was not, to be honest.”

  
            “We shall get through this together, my love,” he pulled into an embrace. “The ride to his office is rather long, and so we have much time on the road to talk.”

  
            “Of course. Something in my gut tells me that this is good timing for everything to be brought out into the light. Let's go get ready, and I'll take the files with me in a backpack just in case."

-

            It would be about two-hour drive to Aymeric’s office in the big van Haurchefant and I were in. There was a barrier between the passengers and the driver, allowing us some privacy.

  
            “The part where I told you that I am a student at the nearby university is true. But of course, stealing the heirlooms at night caused me to withdraw from the most recent semester. Anyways, it was about a year or so ago I moved into the city.

  
            “At first, I lived in an apartment just much like the one we were in… but I met Mrs. Hyde at an event on campus, and we befriended each other somehow…”

  
            “That is rather unusual, given her age compared to yours,” he commented, “But, do continue.”

  
            “Well, it was sort of a career fair where we met actually. I was interested in her old job, so I suppose that’s how we met. Well, we sometimes met up for coffee and she even offered to let me stay at her huge home when I had to stay on campus late at night. It was much closer than my apartment, so it was much safer to do that than to walk back in the middle of the night.

  
            “Slowly, she grew very fond of me. She began to treat me like a daughter, and I felt the same fondness for her and saw her like a mother. I moved in with her the second semester, and we were very close since. Eventually, she began to tell me a little about her family’s past, including the lost heirlooms which Adeledji took from her father after he was driven to debt by the swindler. Soon after, she had to go to the hospital since she became very ill.

  
            “Well… one day after many days musing over it… I thought of getting them back. It would definitely make her happy,” I sighed, falling back into my seat, “But I do not think, at this rate, she will even see them again…”

  
            “Does she know that you…?” he asked me.

  
            I nodded. “She has watched the news. She does not let her knowledge of it out directly… but I feel that she does know. I confirmed it when I last visited her.” I recalled the deep shade I saw in her eyes, echoing an ominous yet gentle understanding of what I have done to get her a special gift. It was hard to hide after the dinner incident anyways where I was shot.

  
            “That gives you and her some peace then, at least…” he took one of my hands in his and squeezed it. “How did you learn to fight then? You should continue your story.”

  
            “Ah… yeah. Right. I should,” snapping out of my daze. “I learned from an old friend in my hometown. His name is Thancred, and on the vacation days during second semester, I would travel back to my hometown to learn after asking him over the phone. He’s a rather wonderful teacher.”

  
            “And you are a rather fast learner. That only gave you a few months before your very first heist, and somehow you pulled that almost perfectly.”

  
            “Careful planning yields a sense of perfection, I suppose,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders.

  
            “Are you sure you were not a talented criminal in your past life?” he teased.

  
            “I don’t think I was,” I replied with lightheartedness. “That’s the end of my story… I guess. It’s not film material but you know at least now how I became the Crystal Thief.”

  
            “The next part of your story is rather interesting, however, for I show up to become a main character!”

  
            “Only because you’re a rather stubborn fellow with a solid sense of justice,” I shot back at him playfully.

  
            Our eyes met and both of us erupted into laughter. Little by little, some of our tense muscles relaxed a bit. “Your eyes look much lighter now, if I may say that,” he began to lean in for a kiss and I met him halfway.

  
            After we broke apart from each other, I put my head onto his shoulder. “You don’t mind if I sleep the rest of the way, do you?”

  
            “Not at all. You haven’t gotten much sleep lately. I’ll wake you up when we’re there.”

  
            “You can fall asleep too if you want, Haurchefant. We both need it.”

  
            “Ah, I suppose you’re right. Good afternoon then, love.”

  
            I giggled a little, “Good afternoon, Haurchefant.”

  
            I closed my eyes and felt him placing head on top of mine. In a few minutes, we both had drifted off to peaceful sleep.


	5. Plan of Action

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haurchefant and the WoL stumble upon a random guest as they meet with Aymeric to discuss a plan of action to rid the police department of the mafia's mole. As planning occurs, Aymeric asks the WoL to take on the mantle of the Crystal Thief once again to get their hands on information that can incriminate their current suspect. Although the road ahead seems smooth now for both Haurchefant and the WoL, the news of Mrs. Hyde's impending death still lingers in the latter's thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait!! Ran into some issues, including tearing a muscle in my right shoulder, so I let myself be lazy for a few days. Hope you guys still are enjoying this!! And for those curious, there will be (very likely) a part 3 where Alphinaud will be introduced haha

            When I stepped onto the carpeted floor and glanced at all the plaques, framed portraits, and the few medals hanging on the wall, I felt a dense knot in my stomach. I reached for Haurchefant’s hand and squeezed it before I stood still. He looked over to me.

  
            “This room may say otherwise, but he is not the type to brag about what he has done and what he does nowadays, love,” he told me, comforting me a little. I only nodded in response and let him lead me to the shining wooden door at the end of the room.

  
            “It’s like we’re in a different world compared to the city…” I softly remarked to him as he knocked three times.

  
            “I oft feel like that whenever I pay him a visit. But, worry not too much, for he knows the situation in the city well from his own experiences. Some great people have built themselves up from nearly nothing, and it is with good tidings that he is one of them,” he gave me a quick wink before the door opened.

  
            Right at the door was a tall lean man, his black hair gelled in a sophisticated style and his baby blue eyes twinkled with warmth. “Aha! It is good to see you again, old friend!” he gave Haurchefant a hard pat on the shoulder before hugging him. After he was done, he quickly turned his attention to me, “As for you, it is wonderful to finally meet you.”

  
            My cheeks immediately began to burn as he gave me a gentlemanly bow. Words became stuck in my throat as I darted my eyes over to Haurchefant, looking for some assistance.

  
            He cleared his throat, “Ah, Aymeric, friend, pray keep your gentlemanly manners in mind lest you have my own lover swoon for you,” he teased his old-time friend, chuckling with a friendly sparkle in his own blue eyes.

  
            “No… what in the world?!” I exclaimed at Haurchefant. The two men began to laugh.

  
            “Oh gods, is that how you have been treating her? You are rather harsh, but the same as I remember in humor and spirits since we last talked,” Aymeric replied, “Let us close the door behind us now though for we have important matters to make note of. Everything said in this room shall remain in this room, so your many secrets are safe with me.”

  
            “That is good news… But, before we begin, just how much are you willing to let your own morals bend when we reveal our stories to you today?” Haurchefant remained where he was, his face wearing a more serious expression. He held his mouth in a rigid straight line, and his eyes were full of adamant determination and tension.

  
            Aymeric sat down at his large brown leather chair behind a semicircle wooden desk and inspected the two of us thoroughly, looking at both of us up and down. “My morals can bend rather far today if it is for the sake of two important people in my lives. Tell me everything, if you want.”

  
            “Haha… is it really that easy?” Haurchefant began to lead me further into the room. “No catches? No trade-offs? Aymeric, you’ve become soft.”

  
            He smiled in response, and his eyes lit up, “Well… I do have one thing to ask you two of, but it is a mutual goal so it won’t do in a hard bargain. I shall tell you once you are finished with your stories.”

  
            “You best have prepared yourself for a rather long one then,” Haurchefant replied, seating himself at one of the seats in front of his desk.

  
            For the next half-hour, we both explained our situation, beginning with my activities as the Crystal Thief to help Mrs. Hyde recover her lost heirlooms without her knowing to the current situation with the mafia and a possible mole within the police department. After we finished, all three of us sat in silence with Aymeric in deep thought as he let each detail sink into his brain so he could look at it from all angles.

  
            “Ah, so the enigmatic thief is the very woman standing before me now, and the one whom Mrs. Hyde considered to be her dearest daughter,” he finally began, “And as for the mafia, yes, they have been a thorn on the city’s police department’s side. I do possess a power higher than the mayor of the city… but right now, I haven’t found the proper reason to intervene without people questioning me. I apologize deeply for that.”

  
            “No worries, friend. The greater power you possess, the more eyes are willing to scrutinize small matters, such as how you breathe the air,” Haurchefant sighed. “Alas, you are the only person we can rely on. We cannot even be confident with the city government if there is a possible mole in the police department already. The mafia has sunk their claws into the city far too deep, and they do not intend to let go so soon.”

  
            I nodded, “And I suppose my own actions haven’t helped much either. So I do feel responsible for that.”

  
            Aymeric shook his head and gave me a gentle smile, comforting me a little, “Do not worry about that my friend. If anything, you made their job a little harder for which I can thank you for. If you had not stepped into the whole business deals between Adeledji and the mafia, those heirlooms would have been completely lost already.”

  
            “Ah, I suppose… I guess that’s good then,” I still felt sick even with his reassurances.

  
            “In fact, may I ask you something important? Where are you exactly hiding Mrs. Hyde’s heirlooms?” Aymeric asked me.

  
            “Oh… um… in a secret room within Mrs. Hyde’s current residence. I technically still live there and have access to it, but I have chosen to live in an apartment for the time being. I do have a friend who keeps guard on the house though, a friend from childhood who is also a classmate.”

  
            “That is good news then. They are mostly safe, yes?”

  
            I nodded, “On the drive here, I texted my friend and he did confirm that they were safe. Actually… since we are talking about them now, I have an important request for you, Aymeric,” I inhaled deeply before continuing, “Would you mind keeping them safe for the time being? One piece is missing, but Mrs. Hyde and I can both rest easy knowing they are within your trustworthy hands.”

  
            “Of course, I shall gladly do that for both of you. It is a way for me to pay my deep respects to Mrs. Hyde too, while she still draws breath,” he sighed, looking forlorn for a few seconds before regaining his composure, “I know the residence you speak of, and I will have a guarded car pick it up soon. Will your friend be there to guide my men?”

  
            “Yes, he will be. I shall tell him now of the current situation.”

  
            We both began to call the people we needed to talk to as Haurchefant sat there silently, watching the two of us giving important orders. When I got off the phone with Alphinaud, he smiled at me and took my hand in his and squeezed it. “That solves one problem. Many more to go now, love.”

  
            I managed to finally smile back genuinely, a warm feeling of relief washing over my entire body. “Yeah… Things are turning out for the better now.”

  
            Aymeric finally got off the phone. “The arrangements have been made. Let us hope that this switch goes smoothly. Now, as for the matter with the police department’s tangled mess with the mafia… We have an important figure visiting us today in fact to talk about just that. As I vaguely mentioned before, to rid the police department of the mafia’s holds is a mutual goal for all of us. The four of us shall create the best plan to catch the mole and to grab free the police department from the mafia’s clutches. Worry not, again, my friends, for he shall not know what we just discussed.”

  
            He stood up from his seat and left the room abruptly, leaving the door open ajar. A few moments later, he appeared again accompanied by an aged man with black, ruffled hair and a pointed nose. Haurchefant gasped.

  
            “It is good to see you again, my most troublesome son,” the man greeted with a booming voice. He held a small smile on his face, decorated with a thin mustache above his lips.

  
            “What in the world? What is my dear father doing here?” Haurchefant stood up and quickly ran over to him to hug him. “You’ve been gone too long… much too long from the police department. Did you really intend to take such a long vacation once you were forced to kick your own son out of his job?”

  
            The man could only sigh deeply in response, shaking his head slowly while doing so, “Ah, you know full well it was not my choice. I had been forced to for I had become near useless to the public officials corrupted by money. The man they installed to work as a good replacement for me, Mr. Charibert, has been nothing but a rotten snake. I am sure he is the mole you two are in agony over, or if not, he is at least connected to that figure.”

  
            “So they’re playing that sort of game? Kick off the man who prevented the mafia from digging its claws into the only fragment untouched by it? How nasty,” Haurchefant replied, his voice coated thickly with disgust.

  
            “It is how they play their hands nowadays,” Aymeric interjects, slowly bringing the crowd back into the confines of his huge office. “We are all gathered here now, so we should put our brains together to think of a plan to draw out this mole.”

  
            “I am due to return tomorrow, so mayhaps we can plan accordingly,” Haurchefant’s father quickly began. He then turned towards me, “I’m afraid I haven’t properly introduced myself to you. You can simply call me Edmont, and don’t be too timid around me just because I might become your father-in-law in the future…” he stuck his hand out and I shook it slowly.

  
            “Nice to meet you,” I said softly, my eyes meeting a friendly smile from his face. It probably runs in the blood to be this sort of friendly to others.

  
            “I can tell my son’s still got a good eye. But, let us move onto more important matters,” at this remark, Haurchefant and I were both blushing a little. Aymeric could only shrug, clearly amused by whatever Edmont had said. “The mafia, for sure, is after Haurchefant and may even kill him if their hands get on him first. We can surely delay it by hiding him with the police department and use it to lure out the mole. The mole would have to contact the mafia to confirm his location after all.”

  
            We all nodded in unison. I briefly heard Haurchefant cursing under his breath about being used as bait. I laid a hand on his arm and began to rub it affectionately. He looked at me and we both smiled at each other. “You’ll be fine,” I mouthed to him.

  
            “I am sure that your return shall at least mitigate the rapidness of the actions of tainted fellows in the police department for an adequate time to lure out the mole. That solves that part… as for the lady here…” Aymeric’s voice fell silent.

  
            “Chances are they may have already figured out that my apartment may be where Haurchefant is hiding and have ransacked it for something. I do have important files with me right now, so they have nothing there important to steal. Well, due to newfound circumstances, I may have to reside in Mrs. Hyde’s home for the remainder of the time…” I began to lie back a little onto my chair. “I can’t move much then. I don’t think they know of me yet either.”

  
            “But all the items in question are properly taken care of now. I have just received a message while fetching Mr. Edmont here that the group sent for the special items have successfully retrieved them,” Aymeric replied.

  
            “Thank the gods!” I breathlessly responded. “Things are looking quite up. But… must I sit around doing nothing again?” I frowned at all three men.

  
            “I may be afraid that is the case, love,” Haurchefant finally said before he exchanged a knowing glance with Aymeric. I perked up a little, sitting up straight. Maybe I cannot do anything at the moment, but _someone else_ can.

  
            Finally, we finalized our plans. Haurchefant would be taken in for protective custody at the oversight of his own father, the police chief returning from a long vacation, and would be used as bait to lure out the mafia’s mole. Edmont excused himself quickly afterward, citing his urgent need to ready his own arrangements for his return tomorrow as his excuse for leaving early.

  
            Before Haurchefant and I left ourselves, though, Aymeric told me that he wanted to talk to me alone.

  
            “I’ll wait outside then,” Haurchefant said to me as he kissed the top of my forehead. “He’ll probably be telling you what you shall do as… someone else.”

  
            He gave me a wink before he closed the door.

-

            “To cover the formal business first, we do have something you might be able to do using your more special skillsets,” Aymeric began, leaning forward in his chair. I was seated again, one elbow resting on cushioned armchair. “I do feel bad for leaving Mr. Edmont out of this, but during Haurchefant’s detainment with the police, we ask you to break into their department the night after his ‘capture’ to steal files from Mr. Charibert’s office. Though Edmont is making his return, he has already told me they won’t be able to fully move out Charibert until a few days later.”

  
            “Files? What kind of files…? Like, files that might contain info on his ties with the mafia?”

  
            “Exactly so. The mole may be captured, but if it is not Charibert himself, I would rather have the files as a back-up plan to rely on to bring the villains to light. I may have a more… overarching position in the government of this state, but the city is still a top priority of mine as it is my home still.”

  
            “How noble,” I could only reply, finding myself a bit in awe at the pureness of his motives. “You honestly seem more morally chaste than Haurchefant…”

  
            He chuckled a little and that warm twinkle filled his eyes again, “How flattering. Well, that is beside the point, now. But, it is a rather risky job, but I have a feeling you have the skills for it. Are you willing to do this?”

  
            “Yeah, I’ll do it. Haurchefant knows already, I’m guessing?”

  
            “Yes he does. In fact, he subtly suggested it himself, and much of my confidence stems from his confidence in you when he was relaying his stories.”

  
            I blushed and bowed my head in an attempt at a proper response. “I won’t disappoint then… It’s odd for someone in your position to be asking something from a criminal, though.”

  
            “You’re a different kind, the kind I like the best, I must admit,” was his graceful reply. “Now that is out of the way, I have more personal matters to discuss with you.”

  
            “It is about Mrs. Hyde, right?”

  
            “Yes, it is about her. I have called the doctors of the hospital she is at and they do confirm her failing health. Ill tidings indeed. It is now that I must carry out the task I promised I would carry out with her ages ago.”

  
            I only sat there, silently watching him as he went through a small drawer in his desk and pulled out two envelopes, both tied neatly together with a red silk ribbon. He walked over to me and placed them gently into my hands. I looked up at him, a bit confused as to what this could mean.

  
            “Are they… from her?” I softly asked.

  
            “Yes, they are. You shall know which one to open first, I am sure.”

  
            “The… wait… how long ago did she write these, exactly?” I noticed that both of the envelopes seemed a bit aged despite their careful preservation.

  
            “Quite a long time ago. You can open the first letter, and all shall be revealed in time. I would like to make this clear to you as well: technically, we can both be considered as Mrs. Hyde’s children, for she took care of us when we had been living in the city, so in that sense, I am like a brother to you. Therefore, do not hesitate to call me for any help you may need in the future, even if it is issues with my troublesome friend named Haurchefant Grey.”

  
            “Oh… okay. Yes, I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied, keeping my eyes fixated on the envelopes I held.

  
            “It is time for us to bid goodbye to each other now. Goodbye until the next time our paths may intersect.”

  
            “Goodbye for now,” I said back to him, “And thank you again for all the help.”

  
            “Not a problem at all,” he smiled as his soothing voice echoed in my mind.

-

            On the drive back underneath the twinkling stars spotting the black sky, I had to call Mrs. Hyde. The first envelope was laid open in my lap and Haurchefant was holding my hand. Tears began to pool in my eyes as I was focused on steadying my breath, waiting impatiently for someone to pick up at the hospital.

  
            Finally, a nurse answered me, and I asked her hastily if I could talk to Mrs. Hyde. At first, she refused, but after begging a little, she finally budged.

  
            “Hello? Is that you, my dear daughter?” a soft voice weakly asked.

  
            “Yes… mother. I just wanted to tell you that— I-I love you…” my voice shook a little as I sniffled audibly.

  
            “Ah… so that young handsome man has kept his promise… Very well. I have known this day would come. I am sorry to be telling you these words when I am near gone, but I love you as well, my dear daughter.”

  
            “I love you…” I said again. I felt a warm squeeze from Haurchefant before he began to wipe away my tears.

  
            “I must go to sleep now. Good night, my dear daughter. I love you as well and I hope that the days to come are filled with happiness.”

  
            She hung up and I dropped my cell phone on top of her letter. Haurchefant sighed deeply before embracing me. “You gonna be okay for the day after tomorrow?”

  
            “Y-yeah… J-just please stay safe in t-there for me…” I began to sob. “At l-least she knew b-before she had to…”

  
            “Hush, now, you don’t have to finish that today…” he stopped hugging me and kissed me tenderly.

  
            I closed my eyes, pushing out some lingering tears to fall down my cheeks. I let myself melt a little at this kiss, and soon warmth enveloped me. I felt the touch of his hand on my back, starting to rub it to comfort me. He let the other one wander over to my waist, using it to pull me closer to his body.

  
            Once he stopped kissing me, he let his mouth drop to my ears. In a hushed voice, he told me, “That’s to make up for tomorrow when I can’t be by your side when you need me the most.”

  
            My eyelids fluttered open as I wrapped my arms around his neck. I squeezed him hard, out of love and fear. “Please don’t worry too much about me tomorrow now…” I muttered.

  
            “That will be very hard to do, love.”


	6. Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haurchefant, his father, and the WoL all return to the boundaries of the game they are wanting to win against the mafia and the corruption that has run rampant for too long in the city. However, as they find good fortune in some places, they will soon meet misfortune at other places.

            The story was set up to make it seem that Haurchefant went into hiding from the police, and was soon taken into their custody once he was found. His own father, returning to his post, oversaw the entire ordeal. Afterwards, we had a small chat on the phone consisting on him reassuring me that he would be safe under their “unusual” witness protection program. Only he and I knew of the exact details why the police were protecting him, and everyone else had been made to believe that he had been arrested for being a bit unruly during some kind of investigation.

  
            I never returned to my apartment, instead immediately heading back to my mother’s house and taking care of matters there. I inspected the household thoroughly, making sure that the last person who set foot into any room was Alphinaud and no one else. To my relief, everything had been left as it is under his care. I would have to thank him later for his help in this chaotic case.

  
            Underneath my mother’s huge bed was medium-sized box, and I bent over to drag it out. Using my house keys, I ripped open the sturdy packaging tape that kept it closed. I sighed to myself, a tingling sensation shooting throughout my arms and legs as I grabbed the mask inside the box. With it was a stun gun, a knife, and a loaded pistol. The last item, however, never actually made it out of the box, but maybe I would have to take it out for this occasion.

  
            I closed my eyes for a few minutes, slowly letting my thoughts take me away from the present. In the still silence of the entire household, I was left alone with my thoughts. This job was something I had to do. Edmont himself may be trying to search for the very files I was after to incriminate Charibert, but I would have to get my hands on that evidence before he does. Aymeric did not have to tell me why exactly I had to steal those files from either party; I knew after thinking on it on the ride back.

  
            Edmont had received the grace of corrupted power once already, and another instance of it may not come any time soon. It would be better, then, to have someone like the Crystal Thief get their hands on those files that incriminate Charibert. To the watchful eyes of those fueled by overflowing money, it would make honest Edmont a little less suspicious and heightening their senses to the presence of the still enigmatic ghost that stole a few precious things in the past.

  
            Maybe afterwards, the ghost wearing this mask which I held in my hands would disappear. That was my hope. I opened my eyes, taking everything out of the box and heading to the kitchen to find my suit, hidden in one of the spice cabinets. Tomorrow, the Crystal Thief will reappear when people least expect them to. They will also disappear without anyone noticing.

-

            Like the shadow, always moving along with what the light shines upon without them knowing. Like the wind, not able to be seen by sight and so it can travel faster than the gazes of even the weary and watchful. Like the silence at midnight, surrounding every being and thing with its looming presence, and thus can never be truly found at one point in space. With ease, I managed to enter the police station through an entry point in the rooftop.

  
            I left the door I used unlocked, allowing me a way to escape when I attained the evidence against Charibert. If that didn’t work out, jumping out of a window wasn’t a bad idea either. After picking the lock on the door to the stairwell, I quietly made my way to the second floor where most of the offices were held for the high-ranking officers and some of the detectives. Haurchefant had also given me a tip that I might want to look in the break room too, since that place is a good place to hide suspicious things in plain sight.

  
            I found my way to Charibert’s temporary office and found that no was in it. Fortunately, there was no one working late at night on the floor. I entered his office and began to search through the files in unlocked drawers and those sprawled out on his desk. I carefully sifted through each leaf with gloved hands, glancing at the information typed neatly on each page. I grabbed the manila folders and also scanned the papers inside of them for anything that would link Charibert to some type of corruption. After about ten minutes, I broke into the locked file drawers and continued from there.

  
            Finally, after searching his entire office and returning it to its untouched state, I found that there was nothing to be found that could be used against him. Dirt that would ruin his career had to be well-hidden after all, I thought to myself. I exited the room and scanned the hallway to my left and to my right multiple times, making sure I was still the only person on the floor. After confirming this, I made my way to the break room on the first floor, dodging the security personnel at their posts for the night.

  
            I managed to find a quiet entrance into the room and was met with the sight of several water dispensers, all bearing empty gallon jugs, an unkempt counter where uneven stacks of paper cups and two coffeemakers stood, and cabinets that probably contained snacks, utensils, and other miscellaneous objects. Near the back door were unopened boxes and packaging of more utensils, cup noodles, and other oddities.

  
            I immediately headed over to the cabinets and checked out their contents, carefully displacing objects to look at the back without making too much noise. As far as I knew, no one actually walked by the break room at night, and I thanked my luck for this small streak of good luck I was having tonight. Yet, as I replaced the things in each cabinet, I felt a knot in my stomach.

  
            Maybe things were going a bit too well. My arms began to shake a little and I was sweating, causing my mask to stick a little too well onto my face, as I closed the last cabinet. I made my way to the stacks of boxes and packages near the back of the room when I suddenly heard the main door’s knob clicked. I instantly jumped behind the stack, making sure I wasn’t in anyone’s field of view, and to my horror I saw that the lights had been flipped on. I gulped, trying to stabilize my breathing and relaxing my body so it would stop shaking.

  
            “It’s good to have you back, sir. I missed you a lot when you were gone… You see, I’m not too fond of Charibert, sir…” a familiar voice pierced the silence that had shrouded me for so long. It sounded like Francel.

  
            “Ah, I’ve heard a few things about how he’s run this place… Do not worry, however, for things will improve now that I am back here again. Although, I do expect opposition, especially after how I handled Haurchefant’s detainment…” Edmont’s voice replied, adding a deep sigh in the end. “My son causes quite a ruckus, does he not?”

  
            “Can I ask a simple question, sir? Why didn’t you place him in the detention cell?”

  
            “Ah… I suppose I can trust you, dear Francel. You seem to know a little about the unusual circumstances of his… ‘arrest.’ You do know about Zephirin’s case, yes?”

  
            “Yes I do, sir! Yes… we were originally ordered to take Haurchefant in for protection in regards to the case, but when he disappeared, it seems that Charibert and the higher-ups changed their mind and wanted us to detain him for something else, sir.”

  
            “Do you find that suspicious in any way at all?”

  
            After a few seconds of silence, Francel spoke up, hesitating a little, “I hope I do not get in trouble for this… but yes, I did find it odd. Haurchefant, first and foremost, is one of my most precious friends. I doubt he would do something outlandish to cause us to arrest him. Not to mention, they gave us no actual clear reason why we were to detain him.”

  
            “I see… that confirms my thoughts then, though how unfortunate that such events had unraveled in the first place. Anyways, it is for protection, as the original intention had spelled out, in regards to Zephirin’s case. I do admit my son may know something about the Crystal Thief that no one else really knows.”

  
            “Say, sir, do you think he actually does, though?”

  
            “My hunch says yes… But we will only be able to know tomorrow when I interview him. Hopefully he shall open up to his dear old father,” he chuckled at the end, and Francel joined him with his nervous laughter.

  
            My body was probably paralyzed at this point since any movement may give me away. I cursed inside my head, my sudden streak of misfortune rattling inside my brain and heart. If it were two other people besides Francel and Edmont, I would have little qualms of just knocking them out if I was found out.

  
            “Anyways, I should go back to the front desk. I might get a call at this time of the night…” Francel said as I heard footsteps distancing themselves from me.

  
            “I’ll join you in a bit. I want to make myself some coffee. Do you want a cup as well, Francel?”

  
            “Ah, no thank you, sir. I don’t drink coffee.”

  
            I heard the door being shut. At least there is one person left, though my stomach continued to churn as the possibility of fighting my lover’s father flashed in my mind. I heard footsteps slowly approaching me, and I held my breath. At the last second, it went another way, away from me, and I let myself slowly exhale through my nose.

  
            “I’ll look for it later… maybe I should look in my office first, shouldn’t I?” Edmont quietly mumbled to himself. As soon as he finished his thought, I heard him going towards the door. I let out of a breath of relief when I heard him shut the door behind him. However, he did not bother to close the lights.

  
            My time here had been extremely shortened, and I proceeded to make quick work of the boxes. After scanning the stack of boxes, I found one that was unusually taped shut. I grabbed it out of the stack and saw that it had been opened before it was taped closed again by a different kind of packaging tape from the original. With my knife, I opened it and was delighted to find several unlabeled manila folders inside. I opened one and skimmed through the papers, pleasantly surprised that a lot of the passages and numbers I saw connected Charibert to the mafia.

  
            I looked up quickly and found that no one was nearby, and placed the box back into where it was in the stack. If Charibert finds that it was opened, it would be too late for him to act on it. I glanced backwards over my shoulder, finding the back door leading to outside. After making sure that no one was in the connecting hallway to the break room, I reached for the door knob and turned it. After discovering that it was locked, I broke it out of brute force and a small desperation to escape.

  
            I gingerly closed the door behind me and made my way to a nearby rendezvous point, where my car was waiting for me. As soon as I jumped into the driver’s seat and made sure that there was no suspicious cars or people around, I started my engine and began to drive back home.

  
            I threw the bag containing Charibert’s files into the backseat and peeled off my mask and threw it onto the passenger’s seat.

  
            “Oh goodness gracious!” I breathlessly uttered to myself in the car as I pulled up in my garage. “Of all people I had to run into… It probably runs in their family…” I mumbled to myself, carefully gathering all my things and entering my house.

  
            After I hid all of my equipment and changed clothes, I headed to the kitchen and poured over the files I had gained. After reading a few of them, I felt a warm feeling rising in my chest and my body, although it was tired, felt a little lighter. They were the files we needed to incriminate Charibert. Now all we needed was to expose them, and I knew I had to get them into Aymeric’s hands tomorrow so Edmont would know about them as soon as possible as well.

  
            I picked up my phone, ready to call Aymeric, only to be surprised to see I had two missed calls from Edmont. I called him back, knowing that he was at the police station for a more personal reason.

  
            “Hey, love, hope things went well!” a chipper voice greeted me after the dialing noises abruptly stopped.

  
            I chuckled, the warm feeling in my chest now bubbling, and smiled. “It did. Your father is spoiling you now, is he? I heard he didn’t stuff you in a typical detention cell.”

  
            “Of course he is! Full glad I am to have him on our side! Besides, we have a lot to catch up on and the room I’m in right now is more appropriate for such matters. He seems a little frustrated right now, though, and I think I know why. A little thief beat him on something pretty important just now…”

  
            “Oh? I wonder what it was then,” I played along, yawning a little. “I hope you’re fine there. I love you, Haurchefant.”

  
            “I love you too. I have to go now, but stay safe, okay? And if you’re in trouble, just call my father for now, okay?”

  
            “Yeah… of course. I hope you get some sleep tonight, dear…”

  
            “You too, for you sound a little exhausted. Go to sleep now, love. Sweet dreams.”

  
            “Good night,” I whispered back, feeling humbled by the warmth of his voice. His last two words lingered in my ears like a tender kiss on my lips as I texted Aymeric about the files. A few minutes later, he replied with a message telling me how he’s going to pick them up from me early tomorrow morning.

  
            I yawned, setting an alarm an hour before the pick-up time. I had no trouble falling asleep that night, feeling at ease for the first time in a few days.

-

            At the designated pick-up time, one of Aymeric’s suited men came by my home to pick up the files. He politely bid me a good rest of the day before he went back into his sleek black car and drove away.

  
            I realized I had to go grocery shopping soon and made the appropriate plans today. A few hours later, it was near midday when I sent Edmont a text to tell me whenever I can visit Haurchefant at the station. The grocery store was only a few minutes’ walk away, and so I walked there on foot.

  
            The sun was shining on my back, and with it there was the usual background noise of the city as far-off construction continued and the sound of cars zooming by lingered in the air. It was another regular day, a jarring contradiction to the adventure I had last night at the police station.

  
            Within these background noises, I heard a trail of footsteps behind me. I stopped in my tracks and turned around, only to find no one was following me. “Maybe I’m being a bit too paranoid…” I whispered to myself. However, as soon those words left my lips, I saw number of men popping out of the shadows in my peripheral vision.

  
            Shit. I took a step back, only to bump into a stranger’s chest. Within a few seconds, I had been surrounded as I looked around my surroundings frantically. There were too many of them for me to fight all at once.

  
            “We’re going to need you to come with us quietly. You’re quite precious to a peculiar detective, and it’d be a shame if we had to hurt you in any way…” one of them warned me, snarling at the end.

  
            Before I could run, my arms were held behind me. “I-I’ll go quietly… just please don’t hurt me…” I instantly replied, wincing in pain at the grip on my wrists.

  
            “We gotta make sure of that…” a voice said behind me as they quickly covered my mouth with a cloth doused with chloroform.

  
            All I saw was black afterwards.


	7. Identifying Mark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The WoL finds herself in the hands of the mafia, desperately hoping to be rescued by Haurchefant.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small warning for those who might not be able to handle some physical torture... it's not extremely bad but it's light and it's in the first part of the story. If you wanna skip it, just CTRL+F a -, which I use to divide parts up in my fics!! Just putting this as a friendly warning. Thanks for the continued support!! Next chapter is the last one.

            I slowly opened my eyelids and found myself blindfolded. My shoulders hunched over and I felt the touch of cold wood on my legs. Feeling and movement slowly trickled out from my chest and towards my limbs, and I tried to move my arms but discovered that my hands were tied together and to the chair. My stomach let out a large growl and I felt a mind-splitting headache.

  
            Different emotions churned themselves endlessly in my chest; fear, sadness, anger, and shock. I licked my lips to wet them a little as my knees felt weaker by the second. As I tried to process through all these feelings, I began to cry softly, sobs trying to escape my dried throat. My body began to shake all over and the continued silence only heightened my anxiety. I had been too careless. Maybe they figured out my identity when they broke into my apartment, if they ever did. Or maybe, they were just good at finding the right people to make their plans run with less problems.

  
            “Ah, trembling like a lost little kitten now, are we? Don’t worry… we won’t hurt you too bad. All we want is the detective and the information he has on that thief anyways,” a frightful voice stated. I felt the harsh grip of a warm hand on one of my shoulders and winced at the pain. “You’re safe for now…” they snickered.

  
            I couldn’t find the energy or courage to speak, and pulled my shoulder away from their hold. I shook my head furiously, biting down on my lips to stop my sobbing.

  
            “Hey, hey… we’re not indecent people you know. We don’t do that sort of thing.”

  
            I continued to shake my head, my body still shaking a little. “P-please don’t hurt me…” I managed to blurt out in a hushed voice.

  
            “Depends on how much your lover’s willing to cooperate, I’m afraid,” a new voice answered, accompanied by heavy footsteps. “Unless you have information on the Crystal Thief yourself,” it continued, grabbing my chin and slowly lifting my head.

  
            I gulped.

  
            “Do you? It’s time to speak up now if you do.”

  
            They began to caress my cheek and I braced myself for whatever would come next. I shook my head, mouthing no. The next second, I felt nothing but stinging pain on my cheek. I let out of a small cry of pain and began to sob.

  
            “That’s rather unfortunate now… We want nothing from you, then, besides as a tool to lure out the man who has the answers.”

  
            My breathing began to be uneven again as tears welled up in my eyes. For a few seconds, a fire of rage flared up inside my chest, but it would only be quelled by the looming fear I held for my life.

  
            “Call the man. Set up the exchange now. We can’t lose time here. As for you, let’s hope you make it out alive from here now…” the voice whispered sinisterly into my ear before slapping me hard on the other cheek. “It’s even now. Isn’t that pleasant? I hope your lover enjoys the gift we’re endowing him with.”

  
            I was biting my lip as he slapped me again to prevent myself from crying out in pain. Although the fear and anxiety remained in my heart, I swore, on my soul, to cut this man whenever I found out who he was after I got out. My mind then quickly jumped to Haurchefant, and my anger softened a little. I shook my head again, tears rolling down my cheeks and onto my lap.

  
            I wanted to see him again. I hoped, with all my heart, that he would find a way to save me without sacrificing himself to the mafia. In a few minutes, the people who were with me in the same room had gotten ahold of Haurchefant. In the distance, I heard someone starting a small fire, possibly in a fireplace.

  
            “Is this the detective? Detective Haurchefant? Good. Listen to me well. We’ve got someone here, tied up, that you hold pretty close to your heart.”

  
            A long pause.

  
            “Put him on speaker,” a new voice called out.

  
            “Yeah, yeah, I’ll do that in a sec. You don’t believe me? What guts you have.”

  
            In a few seconds, I heard his voice. “Who in the hells are you? You can’t… you possibly cannot have her. Whoever you are, I will make sure you will suffer for making such grievous and empty threats.”

  
            “Have you forgotten who we are? We’re the nice people who paid you a visit a few days ago.”

  
            Another pause. “Dear gods… you… let me hear her then. If you really have her.”

  
            I heard footsteps towards me and something warm near my back. I swallowed hard. The phone was shoved to my face. “Say something!”

  
            “H-Haurchefant…?” I weakly called out. “H-help me… I-I don’t know where I am…”

  
            “Oh dear gods…! Love…! Is that you?”

  
            “Why don’t you be a bit louder for your lover bird here?”

  
            Before I could try to get away, I felt a hot metal’s searing touch onto my lower left back. I began to scream.

  
            “Let her go you bastards!!! If I find you, I will KILL you!!!” Haurchefant’s voice angrily called out.

  
            I was panting and wincing in pain. “P-please help me… Haurchefant, I-I’m—” before I could finish, I felt a hand slap my face.

  
            “Don’t you lay another hand on her! What the hell do you want? Where the fuck are you? I will gut all of you, I swear to the gods…!”

  
            “It’s a simple request. We’ll let the girl go if you turn yourselves into us, and not the police. We can’t trust those scum anymore… what a pity. We want info on the Crystal Thief from you. We’ll let her go then. Don’t worry… we keep our promises.”

  
            “You fuckers… Fine,” Haurchefant finally said after a sigh of mounting frustration. “When?”

  
            “Tonight, at Warehouse 38 near the port. We’ll have the girl there, and you two can have a chat before you turn yourself in. Only you can show up though.”

  
            “How in the hells is she gonna come back safe then?”

  
            “She knows her way around the city, right? Don’t you, little lady?” they slapped my other cheek and I cried out again.

  
            “You… stop hurting her!”

  
            “We will… don’t worry. Just show up like a good boy, you hear me?”

  
            “Fine… j-just… let me hear her again.”

  
            “Oh, do you wanna hear her yell again like a few minutes ago?” they snickered.

  
            “Fuck no you dirty piece of shit. Hey love… I’ll get you, okay? Don’t worry about me, okay? I want you to be safe after all of this… They only want me—dear gods, I wish you hadn’t been dragged into this…”

  
            “H-Haurchefant… please don’t… feel bad… I-I’ll wait for you…” I whispered hoarsely.

  
            “That’s enough from you two lovebirds.”

  
            They hung up and my feelings were tangled even worse now.

  
            “Geez, you left a mark there, Eli… he’d get furious if he saw that on her,” the caller remarked, rubbing his hands on the burn on my lower back. I winced.

  
            “Well, you said to use the branding iron. Can’t backtrack on it now,” the other voice replied nonchalantly.

-

            We were riding silently in a large SUV. I was still blindfolded and I was gagged this time, my hands still tied behind my back. My muscles continued to ache from my discomfort. I felt lightheaded, feeling each little movement of the car too well. I felt like throwing up, but I knew I had nothing much to vomit for I haven’t eaten all day. Finally, the car stopped and I was dragged outside.

  
            The cool sea air cascading towards the port hit my bruised cheeks as I leaned onto one of the mafia members for support. I was too weak to stand up by myself at the moment. A few minutes later, I heard faint footsteps somewhere nearby.

  
            “You’re finally here. Here, we have the girl.”

  
            “Bring her over here, please. It looks like she can’t walk on her now… Goodness, you are cruel,” Haurchefant hissed through his teeth. His voice was deep, menacing, and he sounded very much ready to kill.

  
            I felt myself being pushed forcefully, my wobbly legs stumbling onto each other, until I was thrown into a gentle embrace. Within a few seconds, I could see and I could move my mouth. Haurchefant kept me in a half-embrace, undoing the knots on my hands as he wrapped me in his arms. He kept his eyes ahead though, eying the two mafia members and their car wearily.

  
            “Can you throw a knife right now?” he whispered softly to me.

  
            I gasped and with my softest voice replied with a yes.

  
            “I’ll give it to you once I undo these knots. I love you, okay?”

  
            I found the strength to smile and closed my eyes. “I love you too.”

  
            “Don’t worry about running, I got you. Just don’t let go…” my hands were finally freed and as he pulled his arms away from me and I tried to bring them back to me, he secretly handed me the knife.

  
            Suddenly, he pulled me behind him. I leaned against him, the knife’s blade glimmering in the shadow. He held my free hand. “Now I have to turn myself in, right?” he called out to them.

  
            “Of course. Just walk over here.”

  
            He squeezed my hand warmly. “Okay,” he turned around swiftly to peck me on the forehead. He finally let go and walked towards the two men.

  
            As soon as he reached halfway, I threw a knife at the man on the left and got him near his eye. He screamed, falling onto the floor and squirming in pain. “Oh dear gods! What the fuck?!”

  
            A few shots rang out in the darkness as another body hit the floor. Haurchefant quickly ran back to me, lifted me quickly into his arms, and began to sprint. As he ran away, more bullets rang out from the men who remained in the car, all of them barely scraping us.

  
            “G-give me the gun…” I breathlessly shouted to Haurchefant. He quickly handed it to me with no questions asked, and I mounted myself on his shoulder, took careful aim, and managed to shoot two tires of the SUV.

  
            “You must be tired but you’re shooting pretty well still, love!” he remarked playfully.

  
            “Once this adrenaline rush ends, I’m gonna collapse. How the hell are we getting out of here now?” I replied, falling back into his arms as he continued to run.

  
            “Dad’s nearby in a car. It doesn’t seem like they’ll give much of a chase now after what you did to that poor fellow.”

  
            “You would have done something much worse…” I responded quietly, looking up at him as he bolted around a corner.

  
            “You’re safe now… don’t overwork yourself, love… I’m glad you’re safe now…”

  
            We finally reached Edmont’s car and drove away as fast as we could.

-

            I woke up being supported by countless pillows and with Haurchefant holding my hand tenderly. It took a few seconds for my vision to focus onto his worried face.

  
            “Thank the gods you weren’t harmed too badly… But oh gods, if I see them again, I might kill them,” he began, sighing with regret at the end. I squeezed his hand and shook my head.

  
            “Now, now, my dear son, don’t get too involved with the mafia too much now. We were all lucky that we had just skirmished with them for now… and I have a feeling we won’t be hearing from them any time soon, to be exact,” Edmont walked in, holding a tray of hot breakfast food.

  
            I glanced over at the curtained windows, finding small traces of light trickling in. It was already morning.

  
            “Eat up, now, my dear. You must be exhausted still,” the elder man urged as he set the tray in front of me.

  
            “I shall help you, my love! Your cheeks and wrists are bruised a little… and I’m afraid the mark they gave you with what seems to be a branding iron won’t go away soon. The impression is not too deep but—”

  
            I held up my hand to stop him. I smiled at him and took both of his hands in mine. “Thank you for saving me,” I softly told him.

  
            He began to blush a little. “I-I… b-but…”

  
            “I’m here now, Haurchefant…” I sighed, closing my eyes. My muddled memories of the time I had spent being a hostage flashed in my mind and I felt my chest tighten. I inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly, opening my eyes and looking at Haurchefant again. “If I need… help… I’ll go to you, okay?”

  
            “O-okay…” he replied, freeing his hands to begin caressing my face and playing gently with my hair. “Y-yeah… I’ll be here. Don’t worry, I’ll always be here, besides you.”

  
            He gave me a tender kiss on the lips. When we finished, he began to feed me bits of the bacon and toast on the tray.

  
            “If you are ever scared, my love, I will be here,” he softly told me as I chewed on my food. I nodded.

  
            “Well, not to kill the mood here, but I have good news. Aymeric told me he attained some important documents linking not only Charibert to the mafia, but the incident of Zephirin’s attempted murder to the mafia as well. The police do not have any actual leads on individuals right now, but we are on the right track at least…”

  
            “Ah, good tidings, good tidings! A wonderful way to start the day off, right, my love?” Haurchefant responded, wiping some of the bits of food stuck near my lips. I could only nod.

  
            “My goodness… I wondered how he got those documents. Mayhaps he has special people for those sorts of tasks. I am honestly curious now considering that the two places I would look in had been broken into right before I looked myself,” Edmont shrugged. “Oh well, that is a mystery for another day.”

  
            Haurchefant and I exchanged knowing looks and giggled among ourselves.

  
            “Pray tell me now, father… what happens next?” Haurchefant placed the utensils back onto the tray and looked at him.

  
            “We arrest Charibert today and let you go officially. However, given some information detailed out in the files incriminating the man… I may have to talk to you again about the Crystal Thief. Adeledji had filed police reports in the past about his stolen goods, and I am afraid you are our only connection to our prime suspect in this case, Haurchefant.”

  
            “Ah… I see. Well, when the time comes, I shall answer your questions as best as I can,” he looked back at me and flashed a smile.

  
            “Although the mess at the moment has been cleaned up a little, it seems there is no end to the mystery surrounding that mysterious thief…” Edmont sighed.

  
            After Haurchefant and his father finished talking, the latter left for the police station to begin the paperwork on Charibert’s arrest. I was left alone in Edmont’s bedroom with Haurchefant, without the breakfast tray this time.

  
            “Are you okay right now?” he asked me, a frown forming on his face.

  
            “For now, yes. I think… I should sleep though. Haurchefant…”

  
            “Yes?” his attention remained fixed onto me. He moved closer.

  
            “D-do you have to be somewhere else right now? I… I don’t want to sleep by myself right now…”

  
            “No, not at all. My father says it’s fine if I don’t go back today. He’s really jumping through a lot of rings for us… But I am thankful for it. If you shall permit me to sleep beside you,  I will do it in a heartbeat.”

  
            I nodded shyly, my fingers trembling in his hands. “Thanks…”

  
            I scooted over to give him some space on the bed. I huddled closer to him and he wrapped his legs around mine. I placed my head near his and closed my eyes.

  
            “I’ll be here, always,” he told me with a quiet voice.

  
            Against my palm was his chest’s warmth. I huddled even closer at his words, wrapping myself in his embrace to help me sleep better. I felt one of his hands on my back as he pulled me little closer. After a few minutes, I finally drifted off to sleep.


	8. The End of One String

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The case of the mafia's attempt at getting a hold on the Crystal Thief finishes in a quiet fashion, yet the distant rumbling of incoming trouble refuses to cease for the city. The WoL must face a tough choice now: whether to return to the activity of burying her old persona or to renew it to fit the new needs demanded by the city's changing atmosphere.

            It had been about two months since the anticlimactic end of the case which dug up the Crystal Thief from her grave, hurling her into the sights of the mafia. Charibert, after Aymeric leaked the documents, had been arrested and jailed at a facility elsewhere for all appropriate charges. Zephirin, the victim, also experienced backlash as his involvement with the devious plot was hinted at multiple times in those same documents. He eventually resigned. At the end of it all, the police department closed the case while the officers, including Edmont, remained scratching their heads about the Crystal Thief and her newfound connection to the mafia.

  
            My mother passed away two weeks after, and Haurchefant lived with me while I was grieving. Aymeric himself traveled to the small funeral we held, holding a forlorn look on his face as we both watched her casket being lowered into the ground. It would take a while for me to be able to sleep peacefully again, and Haurchefant would stay up with me and prepare cups of hot chocolate to comfort me with.

  
            The commotion that had been riled up with the case and the trouble following after would slowly die down as hushed whispers, prolonged stares between those who were investigating and those affected, and bouts of silence when the topic weighed on everyone’s mind at around the same time. Haurchefant, when we weren’t at the office finally officially working together, would always talk to me softly while I stared off into space. Aymeric would call now and then to check up on me, and Edmont, every time he saw me at the grocery store, would ask how I was doing even though I knew Haurchefant keeps him updated on anything about him and me.

  
            The city had become quiet again with only the usual small crimes happening throughout the weeks. We weren’t taking on any big cases at the moment due to the lack of them, instead working when clients walked into the office to ask for small favors. Investigations wouldn’t last more than a few hours, and the answers craved by each client would be reached before the sun would set.

  
            As I went through the motions of daily life, many things lingered in my head. Sometimes, I would find it hard to fall asleep at night, and Haurchefant would try his best to calm me and make me feel safe. I was thankful, at least, that the quiet had allowed him to look after me more than in the past.

  
            The last set of earrings that the mafia held was still absent from my own collection, granted to me secretly in my mother’s will. Aymeric, when he remembered, would assure me that the heirlooms are still safe. He would shyly ask me if I wanted to keep them with me, and I would politely decline. Maybe it was in everyone’s best interest if they disappeared from the city, far from the mafia’s clutches.

  
            As my head continued to swim in these thoughts, I heard someone call my name. I snapped back to reality, staring, with a bit of fright in my heart, at Haurchefant’s face. I was sitting across from him, my body slouched forward to lean onto his desk.

  
            “Aymeric’s called. He wants to talk to you about… something. You okay?” his voice was gentle as he reached over to pat me on the shoulder. “You look like you just saw a ghost… You’ve been spacing out again.”

  
            “Ah… yeah, I’m fine,” I exhaled, feeling a bit lightheaded. “Can I have the phone?”

  
            He nodded and handed it to me.

  
            “Aymeric? What do you need?” I asked timidly.

  
            “Hello, friend. It’s good to hear you again. I trust that you have been holding up okay?”

  
            “Uh… yeah. I’ve been okay. It’s getting a bit better. Thank goodness the city’s quiet again… The mafia hasn’t really been doing much either because of the scandal, I guess. The police have become much tougher now that Edmont’s back… but, I’ve told you this many times already,” I gave a nervous chuckle before it dwindled into a small sigh.

  
            “Do not worry about it, my friend. I am afraid, however, I must disturb this peace a little by asking for a heavy favor from you…”

  
            “What… is it?” I looked at Haurchefant and he gave me a strained smile.

  
            “I must ask you to take on the mantle of the Crystal Thief once again, but for a different reason. If you do not feel comfortable with this task, feel free to voice it now. I know that it is a hard time right now, so…”

  
            “What… is the situation? If you can explain it, that is…”

  
            “Since the mafia has died down, some smaller gangs in the city have found it as the prime opportunity to continue their criminal activities. Unexpectedly, one such gang, named the Braves, has not continued but begun some suspicious activities.”

  
            “Wait… the Braves? But… why?” I tightened my hold on the phone.

  
            “I am not quite sure right now… but, I’ve a bad feeling about this situation. The Braves has proven themselves to be a gang of a different kind, yet when they managed to steal something from Nanamo, a public official… nothing is adding up right now. According to what we know, they would not attack someone like Nanamo.”  
            “W-when did this happen…?”

  
            “Last night… I have been trying my best to keep it hushed on the media for now…”

  
            “Why? I’m… by some chance, do you know who the leader of the Braves is?”

  
            Aymeric sighed at the other end of the line, “I know them, yes, and I know that they have known you a long time as well. This is why I am pulling strings right now. This is also why I am asking you, on his behalf as well.”

  
            “Wait… is he safe? Is Alphinaud safe? He would have called me himself—”

  
            “He is in hiding right now. I promise you I will keep him safe. But for now, I must ask you kindly to help retrieve what was stolen from Nanamo. Edmont and other high ranking officers in the police department have already been briefed about this assignment, but they have been ordered to wait after they finish the investigation they are conducting at the moment.”

  
            I looked over at Haurchefant and slowly diverted my gaze back to the top of his desk. He took my hand in his and I looked up. “It’s okay,” he whispered to me.

  
            “Aymeric… I’ll do it. Just tell me the details right now. I can do it tonight... or whenever possible I suppose.”

  
            “Oh, thank the gods above. I am sorry for burdening you like this out of the blue, my friend.”

  
            I sighed, “It’s fine for the most part. I have to repay Alphinaud anyways… is he… there, by any chance?”

  
            “I trust you enough to tell you yes. He is here, right now. He is getting some much needed sleep at the moment.”

  
            “Ah, that’s good to hear then…” I smiled a little as I took out my notebook and grabbed a pen from Haurchefant’s desk. “You can start giving me information now.”

-

            Stealing Nanamo’s stolen property proved to not be that much of a challenge compared to the last few heists I pulled off for the last heirlooms. It felt a little too easy, but for some reason, no traps were set off and I had escaped easily.

  
            “Maybe I should’ve told you earlier the leader of the Braves was a childhood friend…” I said softly to Haurchefant, who was focusing on driving us near the police station. I was leaning forward to peek above his shoulder through the windshield, hiding myself in the shadows of the backseat.

  
            “Love, it’s no problem really. It is not like the Braves have really meddled with law enforcement. They are a different kind of gang… but to know why they did this and to learn that Alphinaud is hiding right now… Something sinister is brewing once again, I am afraid. The office will be busy soon enough,” he shrugged as he made a left turn. We stopped at an intersection and I stared at the red traffic light emitting its glow in the middle of the night.

  
            “I hope this is the last time I’ll have to do this… but I’m afraid that such a wish is a futile one.”

  
            “It’s okay. Don’t worry about it,” he said to me, stepping on the gas pedal when the light turned green.

  
            “Are you sure? I promised you and all… I don’t want to abuse your trust in me.”

  
            “You’re not abusing it at all, my dear. It is just the circumstances have changed now, and both Aymeric and I now see a way of helping this city out more than we could have in the past. A lone detective can only do so much on his own,” he flashed me a smile.

  
            “Is it really okay, though?” I whispered and sighed. “I guess we can’t do much about it now. I’m guessing you were just as much of a trump card as he was to you, no?”

  
            “We do favors for each other now and then. He knows I’m quite talented in my line of work, and I know he is with his own. But… we needed something else to start driving out the mafia from the city, and now we have the tools we need per se.”

  
            “Well, I guess it really is okay then. I don’t have to worry about betraying you now. Besides, it’s not like I’m an actual criminal now… that does mean, however, you won’t be chasing after me,” I complained a little, smiling at him before I retreated back into the backseat. “Are you sure you’re good going to your father by yourself with Nanamo’s things?”

  
            “Yes. I’m more afraid for you, who I’m leaving alone in the car on the street. We best watch both of our backs now,” he replied, pulling his car over to the curb. He unlocked the doors and turned to face me. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. Whatever questions my father has, I can answer later… if he pesters you about it, try your best to deflect it.”

  
            We shared a quick kiss before he hopped out of the car, holding onto the bag containing the stolen property. It was about ten minutes later that he returned to the car. He started up the engine before giving a deep sigh.

  
            “Did something happen?” I asked with a concerned voice. “You should also put on your seatbelt, Haurchefant.”

  
            “Ah, thanks. I almost forgot. Well, it’s just… everyone who wasn’t my father was giving me a bad time. As far as they are concerned, I’m just a suspicious detective who works at his own office. Never mind them.”

  
            “At least you’re not working by yourself anymore,” I chimed in, “I’m there now.”

  
            “Pray take caution around those fools though, love. Unfortunately, we may have ratted out the big bad from the department, but we have a few bad apples in there still… Some I know from my career in there. I hope the gods bless my father many more years in times like these.”

  
            “The same goes for me too,” I softly replied. I put a comforting hand on his shoulder, “You can relax for a bit now. We’re done.”

  
            He began to laugh a little. “You are quite right, my love.”

-

            By the time we got back home at my place, it was around 2 AM. Haurchefant only bothered to take off his shirt and socks before jumping into bed, groaning about how fatigued he was.

  
            “Gods, I am going to sleep. Yes, I am going to sleep,” he repeated to himself over and over as I got dressed into my nightclothes.

  
            “Yes, dear, yes,” I responded in a song-like voice. “We are both going to sleep. Yes, we are both going to sleep.”

  
            “You should hurry to bed then, before you space out and think of things that only tire you out. You are going to sleep, for sure. Pray, forget the world right now and just go to sleep. You’ll be okay. I will make sure of that.”

  
            The serious tone in his voice caused me to stop brushing my hair, and I turned around to stare back at him who was huddled up cozily inside the covers. Neither of us spoke for the next few minutes. He began to unravel himself a little and beckoned me over to lie next to him. I dragged my feet over and lay on my side to face him.

  
            “I wanted to bury her, and here she is, her casket ripped from the ground and the cover thrown open,” I began to whisper to him as he began to pat my head. “And now, in her stead, is the true casket of someone close to me who has died.”

  
            “Unusual talents are called upon during the most unusual times. It is how the world works when times call for desperate measures,” he said to me, brushing away some of the hair that fell on my face. “You should really go to sleep now. Your mother would ask the same thing from you, I would guess.”

  
            “I suppose. I guess I should leave it be for now.”

  
            “You have never used your talents to hurt anyone either… so I think you’re perfectly okay. In fact, you are rather wonderful, and you are mine to love. I hope that calms your fretting a little bit.”

  
            He pulled me closer to him and I nodded. “It does.”

  
            “We’ll leave that mystery for another day. Slowly, we will help fix this little city of ours, my love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wowow that took forever thanks for reading anyone who is still interested in this!! I felt like this was weak compared to the first one but /sighs/ maybe I'll edit it in the future whenever I find the time in between studies and volunteering.


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